Should Jack Move?

[Jack]

Guys, it's pretty much useless. Thank you for all your words of advice but Jack isn't listening to any of us. He is set on not leaving and staying where he is. He was registed for the Spring '10 semester and classes start the 11th, I've offered to pick him up at the bus station if he took a bus but he isn't getting a bus or anything. I don't think anything can change his mind, sorry for wasting everybody's time.

I wish I could change your mind Jack, you deserve to get out of that and live a better life and I wish you would do this for yourself.

[Kazuya]

What's his MOS, out of curiosity?

MOS?

[Jack]

His job.

[Kazuya]

Oh, that's his rate. He's a personell specialist.

[Alura]

Don't do the military, it sucks balls, srsly.

Heh. I would love to hear your personal experience about the military, please.

It's extremely tough, especially a lazy videogamer like me. But if you go in knowing exactly what to expect and know what you want to get out of it, then it's a fantastic way to get your life on track. In Jack's case, it's a way for him to travel, learn some ridiculously useful skills in life and come back significantly richer with more job opportunities and college paid for.

I'm not saying that the military is perfect for everyone but don't just randomly walk into a thread and act like it's bad for everybody. As someone who actually went through the process (and still is), I can honestly say it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

[Jack]

Heh. I would love to hear your personal experience about the military, please.

It's extremely tough, especially a lazy videogamer like me. But if you go in knowing exactly what to expect and know what you want to get out of it, then it's a fantastic way to get your life on track. In Jack's case, it's a way for him to travel, learn some ridiculously useful skills in life and come back significantly richer with more job opportunities and college paid for.

I'm not saying that the military is perfect for everyone but don't just randomly walk into a thread and act like it's bad for everybody. As someone who actually went through the process (and still is), I can honestly say it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

[Alexander Trafford]

Go to University, and, if you still want to be a part of the military, do the ROTC program and you'll graduate as a commissioned officer. That's your best route.

[Alura]

I've spoken to Jack. He's told me exactly what he wants to do and from his mindset, he's anticipated all the rules and bullshit he'll have to deal with for how long his contract will be. From what I gather, a lot of the advice he's got here has been contradictory to what he wants. He WANTS to go to war. He WANTS to travel.

He's going into this knowing exactly what is waiting for him. It's not going to be easy but he knows that. He's going to come back a better person. Instead of talking him out of something that I believe he's already decided, maybe he needs some support.

[Alura]

Go to University, and, if you still want to be a part of the military, do the ROTC program and you'll graduate as a commissioned officer. That's your best route.

Jack would make a horrible officer.

No offense, Jack.

[Rafael]

Eh, I'm about to hit 4 years coming up in a couple months here with 2 to go after that, and it certainly isn't my cup of tea, as they say. I work with all services and, really, if you're going to join, join the Navy for sure, but I'm not the type for this, no desire to go the extra mile to get e-6 at 5 years or anything like that since I'd get out shortly after the pay would kick in, and kind of tired of working with people who get payed 4 times what I do and have less than half the responsibility(and I can't stress enough how envious I get of the hair). It's all about how you look at it and I tend towards the pessimistic, but the military isn't fun.

On the flip side, I view my enlistment as a medicine of sorts. I've been forced to do a number of things I put off for too long(like getting my driver's license and learning how to rent a place, etc.) at an easy pace, and once I'm out and can happily lock the uniforms in a trunk or what have you, it'll pay back on the college funding, which is my reason for being here in the first place.

I may be assuming too much but this thread at least makes it sound like funding is aligned/ready for jack, so...imo, not worth it if you're single. Great benefits and such if you're married/can't afford college, but if you're single/don't care about college, not worth it imo.

If you want to join to actually do the military thing and you feel you would enjoy that, I'm not saying it's a bad idea if you know what you're getting into.

[Alexander Trafford]

Jack would make a horrible officer.

No offense, Jack.

That's what i thought about a number of my friends who did the ROTC program, and right now they are either stationed overseas or are back stateside and i have heard nothing but good things about their leadership.

The program actually did what it was designed to do and MADE them good officers.

I've talked to him too, and, from what i understand, his desire to join the military is more or less an escape from his home life and from college. I know that the military is hard, but it is a different kind of difficult than college. People tell you what to do, you follow strict rules and orders, and your life is scheduled, from what i gather. In university everything falls on your own shoulders, and it is up to you whether or not those things get done. I understand that these same lessons can be learned in the military, but i have met a number of young people who have joined the army, or the navy, or the air force, or the marines and have come home and still lack the responsibility to carry out their own lives. In that respect i believe that university is a more valuable experience than joining the military.

You can make a counter argument if you wish, but i'm not going to bother acknowledging it, no offense.

[Alura]

I completely agree with the above statement.

@Tallow

[Abel]

The reason Jack wants to go into the military is because he thinks it will make him into something because he doesn't have the motivation to push himself to be what he wants. If he were to make a step in the right direction, it could be one of many steps to become the person HE wants to be, not the person the military wants or forces him to be.

Jack just doesn't have a spine and knows it and hopes the military will give him one.

That's all there is to it.

[Rafael]

Hm. That's different then. If he manages to make it in the Marines, they'll certainly try their best to help him out with that. I guess if that's the goal, just gotta be prepared to get yelled at a lot for any reason whatsoever.

[Vad]

Go to school first. Get an Associates or a Bachelors and then if you want to join, join. You'll get to join as an officer in most cases.

With a bachelor's you'll be an officer. I don't know what rank because you're not exactly coming out of West Point. But since you have a degree, you'd be a CO. (Commissioned Officer) (Pretty damn sure.)

Goto College. If the military still looks interesting, do it. Heck, once I get my bachelors and some more learnin I might hit up the Marines for an IT job. >.>

[Vad]

Go to University, and, if you still want to be a part of the military, do the ROTC program and you'll graduate as a commissioned officer. That's your best route.

>.> I should read before I post.

[Abel]

Also, unlike the military it's possible to attend a semester and if it doesn't fit then you don't have to enroll for the next semester. In the military you have a a contract and can't just leave if you want.

[Rafael]

Also, unlike the military it's possible to attend a semester and if it doesn't fit then you don't have to enroll for the next semester. In the military you have a a contract and can't just leave if you want.

I thought the exact same thing but somehow I didn't type it up there. This^

[Sage]

I am sorry, Jack.

I know you hadn't asked for this thread and blah blah blah. Still, I'd like to say something important, but I don't know how to help you.

You and I are in a more similar situation, I think, than I tend to let on. Our families both sound very poisonous.

All I can say, is best of luck in whatever it is that you do. If the military life is the life you really, honestly believe you want, then that's what you should do. Follow your convictions, Jack. Even if you don't understand them.

Good luck. All the best.

[Cain]

Tallow makes a good point. You'll still have to pass the P.T. tests to make it in. Good luck.